There are a variety of different types of harvesting machines that can be used to harvest row crops, such as corn. Such machines often have a header (or head) that is used to engage the crop to be harvested.
A corn head, for instance, may have a plurality of different row units that are arranged next to one another, and that are spaced apart from one another by a distance that roughly corresponds to a row spacing between adjacent rows of the corn to be harvested. The row units can include crop dividers that separate the stalks of adjacent rows from one another, as the harvester moves in a forward direction of travel. The row units are often provided with gathering chains that have lugs projecting out from the gathering chains. Two adjacent gathering chains rotate in cooperation with one another in order to engage the stalks of the plant being harvested and move them toward the harvester. The gathering chains are normally driven by a set of gathering chain drive shafts.
The row units also often have forwardly extending snapping rollers that are mounted to a pair of snapping roller drive shafts. The snapping rollers are configured to draw the corn stalks downward, causing the ears of corn, which are too large to pass between the two snapping rollers, to become detached from the stalks and to move into the harvester.
Power is provided to both the gathering chain drive shafts and the snapping roller drive shafts (i.e., the output shafts) through a row unit gearbox. An input drive shaft drives a set of spur gears that interact with corresponding bevel gears on the gathering chain drive shafts, and the snapping roller drive shafts, to drive both sets of output shafts. The gearbox includes a fluid lubricant that is used to lubricate the various gears and bushings in the gearbox.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.